The Union Cabinet has approved the Khelo India Sports Goods Manufacturing Scheme with an outlay of Rs 1,856.67 crore for 2026-2033-34. This initiative aims to strengthen India's position in the global sports goods sector through dedicated manufacturing zones, research, skill development, and market expansion, fostering self-reliance and creating employment opportunities.
Engagement with neighbours has gathered pace, particularly as the conflict in West Asia has exposed their vulnerability to energy supply disruptions.
Beijing published the world's first global framework for vocational standards. If India does not act swiftly, it will be compelled to certify its workers by someone else's rulebook, cautions Abhay Jere, ex-Vice Chairman, AICTE.
India has invited all 10 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member nations, including Pakistan, to the inaugural Civilisational Dialogue Forum in New Delhi from November 20 to 22. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced this initiative earlier, aiming to strengthen cultural ties and mutual understanding among SCO countries. The forum will also address the collective fight against terrorism, a key concern for India.
'India needs to create eight-nine million jobs annually to absorb the growth in the working-age population.' 'Failure to create productive jobs could squander the demographic advantage that we enjoy right now.'
Preeti Lobana, Google India VP, stated on Wednesday that Google views AI as an "economic equaliser" and a democratic technology. Speaking at Google Cloud Day, she highlighted AI's potential to empower businesses, especially SMEs, in India's journey towards Viksit Bharat 2047. Google has committed USD 15 billion to scale India's digital and AI infrastructure, including an AI hub in Visakhapatnam, to support the IndiaAI Mission.
Vaishnavi Sharma's maiden five-wicket haul and unbeaten half-centuries from Pratika Rawal and Shafali Verma powered India to an eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the third ODI on Wednesday, completing a 3-0 series sweep.
India's men's and women's kabaddi teams continued their strong performance at the Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad on Sunday. The women's team defeated Uganda 41-18, led by Captain Nidhi Sharma, while the men's team secured a 37-23 victory over Malaysia, with Neeraj Narwal as the top scorer.
'If the temperature remains very high, which is likely to be the case because of El Nino, it may lead to a shortfall in wheat production.' 'If that happens, we will be in a very, very difficult situation as far as food security is concerned.'
Five-time champions India, fresh off a dominant win against Bangladesh, are set to face a youthful and unfamiliar Chinese side in their second Asian Champions Trophy round-robin match on Thursday. Coach Craig Fulton acknowledges the challenge of playing an unknown opponent, while veteran striker Mandeep Singh's hat-trick against Bangladesh signals his return to form.
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary inaugurated the India-New Zealand Under-20 International Rugby Sevens Series in Nalanda district. The event, held from October 23 to 28 at the Rajgir Sports Complex, marks 100 years of bilateral sporting relations and aims to promote rugby in Bihar. Matches were played between the men's and women's teams, with the Indian women's team securing a victory.
Daryl Mitchell's blistering 52-ball-89 anchored New Zealand's innings, helping them post a formidable 198 for 3 against India in the third T20 International in Wellington. Despite a strong start from India's bowlers, Mitchell and Finn Allen built a crucial partnership, with Bevon Jacobs providing a late surge.
Olympians Srihari Nataraj and Sajan Prakash are set to compete in the Nettakallappa Swimming Championship in Bengaluru from October 31 to November 1. The event features a Rs 1.5 million prize pool, a thrilling SKINS event, and a new Most Valuable Swimmers award with a Rs 2,00,000 prize purse.
India's U15 football team, the Blue Colts, lost 1-2 to Honduras in a Round of 32 Tier C match of the FIFA U15 World Cup and Festival on Wednesday. Despite equalising in the second half, Honduras reclaimed the lead, pushing India into the lower bracket to compete for positions 81 to 96. India will next face Trinidad and Tobago.
The inaugural Chola Chess Open International Grandmasters Tournament will commence in Chennai on October 30, featuring prominent Indian and international grandmasters. The eight-day event, running until November 7, will host 80 FIDE-rated players, including 32 grandmasters, and is expected to be one of India's strongest open chess tournaments, offering opportunities for players to earn various FIDE titles.
Despite recent foreign portfolio outflows, India's long-term investment prospects remain strong, but the return of capital hinges on global financial conditions, relative valuations, and the country's ability to attract sustained foreign investment, according to foreign bankers at the Business Standard BFSI Insight Summit.
Abhishek Sharma took his tally to 11 centuries in T20 cricket -- the most by an Indian batter in the shortest format of the game overtaking the great Virat Kohli.
India's men's and women's kabaddi teams delivered impressive performances at the inaugural Commonwealth Kabaddi Championship in Ahmedabad on Saturday. The men's team defeated Uganda 44-30, while the women's team secured a dominating 32-16 victory over Singapore. Both teams showcased strong raiding and defensive skills, setting the stage for upcoming matches.
Oracle NetSuite identifies India as one of its highest-priority markets, noting that small businesses, particularly outside major metros, are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and cloud technologies to expand domestically and internationally. This adoption is driven by India's young, tech-native population, which is less burdened by legacy systems, allowing smaller firms to compete more effectively with larger enterprises.
India's premier education leadership conference, EGN ConnectX India 2026, will be held in Mumbai from November 3. The event will bring together school and university leaders, policymakers, and edtech innovators to discuss the integration of AI in classrooms, future-ready curricula, and skilling initiatives. The conference aims to provide actionable solutions for implementing AI in education, addressing challenges faced by educators.
Two-thirds of India's 160 airports, approximately 120, have very low utilisation rates, with only 40 operating at 70-80 per cent capacity.
Indian AI startup Sarvam has signed a five-year agreement with the Ministry of Defence to develop and deploy artificial intelligence applications for the armed forces. This Memorandum of Understanding with Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff aims to enhance operational capabilities, decision support, and training across the Army, Navy, and Air Force, focusing on building an indigenous AI layer on sovereign infrastructure.
New Zealand batter Finn Allen discussed the team's recent T20 International loss to India, highlighting the valuable lessons learned from India's dominant batting performance. He acknowledged the difficulty in stopping players like Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi once they got going. Allen emphasised that despite the series defeat, every game is important for building towards the T20 World Cup in a couple of years.
'The political leadership is very clear that we have to move towards the integration of the three services into theatre commands.'
RBI Deputy Governor Poonam Gupta stated that India's economic growth momentum remains strong despite various global and domestic shocks, attributing this resilience to a diversified growth base and improved policy responses. She highlighted the economy's 7.8 per cent growth in Q1 and continued momentum into Q2, suggesting potential upgrades to growth forecasts.
The Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and the New Zealand Esports Federation (NZ Esports) have drafted a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation and exchange knowledge in the esports sector. This initiative coincides with the 100 Years of Unity Through Sport celebrations, featuring Indian gamers competing in eFootball and Clash Royale in Auckland.
A 14-member Indian boxing contingent, including Commonwealth Games gold medallists Jaismine and Arundhati Choudhary, will participate in the 46th International Tammer Tournament in Tampere, Finland. The tournament, running from October 28 to November 2, aims to provide international exposure and build depth in Olympic weight categories for Indian pugilists.
India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I at Hagley Oval, marking their 200th victory in men's T20 Internationals. Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy's unbeaten 69-run partnership secured the win, giving India a 2-0 series lead.
Former India hockey captain Sardar Singh has highlighted the need for greater discipline and sharper man-marking for the Indian team to bridge the gap with top European sides and Australia. He acknowledged India's progress in ball possession and overall fitness but stressed the importance of disciplined play. Singh also commented on Pakistan's withdrawal from the Asian Champions Trophy and expressed confidence in India's chances as hosts.
Kajal Dhochak secured a silver medal in the women's 76kg category at the World Wrestling Championships after a close final loss to Anastasiya Alpyeyeva on Wednesday. This marked India's second silver of the day, with Neelam Sirohi also finishing second in the 50kg category, making it a historic day for Indian women's wrestling.
India A were denied a sensational come-from-behind victory against New Zealand A in the first unofficial 'Test' due to bad light, despite pacer Auqib Nabi's incisive spell and Devdutt Padikkal's near double-century setting up a thrilling chase.
Devdutt Padikkal made a strong case for the No. 3 spot in India's Test team with a superb 199 as India A fought back from a disastrous start to post 488 for 8 in their second innings against New Zealand A in the first unofficial Test on Monday.
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell has attributed India's 2-0 lead in the ongoing T20I series to their exceptional death bowling. Bracewell noted that the Indian bowlers effectively built pressure in the final overs, preventing the Black Caps from posting higher totals despite high-scoring games. He acknowledged the challenge posed by India's in-form openers and highlighted the need for New Zealand to deliver a complete performance to turn the tide.
India has stated that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is disturbed by Chinese forces diverging from established patrolling patterns, emphasising that maintaining peace and tranquillity is essential for bilateral relations. This statement follows remarks by the ITBP Director General about ongoing confrontations. Both nations are utilising diplomatic and military mechanisms to resolve issues and improve LAC understanding. Recent high-level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have focused on rebuilding trust and respect after the 2020 Galwan clashes, including a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok.
Five-time champions India began their Asian Champions Trophy hockey campaign with a dominant 13-0 victory over Bangladesh. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick, while Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, and Hardik Singh each netted a brace, showcasing India's strong title defence.
India's women's cricket team, having already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead, will play the third and final ODI against Zimbabwe on Wednesday, aiming for a clean sweep. Key performances from Pratika Rawal, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Shree Charani, and Vaishnavi Sharma have ensured comprehensive victories for India, while Zimbabwe seeks to put up a stronger fight.
India, five-time champions and recent Asian Games gold medallists, are strong favourites to win the six-nation Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament kicking off in Jalandhar. The tournament marks the return of international hockey to Punjab after 17 years, with many Indian players set to play in front of their home crowd. India will open their campaign against Bangladesh on Tuesday, with the semifinals and final scheduled for November 4 and 5 in Mohali. Four senior players are reportedly playing their final assignment for the national team.
India's para-athletes concluded their Asian Para Games campaign with an unprecedented 114 medals, including 30 gold, marking their best performance to date. The final day was particularly successful, yielding nine gold medals across various disciplines. Notable achievements included world records set by Mona Agarwal in shooting, and Sandeep and Haney in athletics. Shuttlers Nitesh Kumar and Naveen Sivakumar secured individual golds, while archer Harvinder Singh also contributed to the gold tally. The swimming contingent also exceeded expectations with 11 medals.
India's bowling coach Morne Morkel has offered a unique piece of advice to the Test specialists preparing to face the challenging wind conditions at Wellington's Basin Reserve: 'Stand near a powerful fan to counter the speedy wind.' This unconventional preparation aims to help players adapt to the 120 kmph winds prevalent in 'Windy Wellington,' which can significantly impact batting and bowling.
Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has emphasised the team's focus on improving its defensive performance ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy. India, chasing a record sixth title, will face Bangladesh in their opener on Tuesday. Harmanpreet stated that despite being favourites, the team will not underestimate any opponent and views the tournament as a crucial platform for both experienced players and youngsters, as well as preparation for the 2028 Olympics.
